Raleigh, N.C., FAQ

General

WHAT IS THE RALEIGH, N.C., AREA?
The Raleigh area encompasses the City of Raleigh and 11 other Wake County municipalities: Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.

WHAT IS THE POPULATION OF THE CITY OF RALEIGH AND WAKE COUNTY?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Raleigh is 451,066 (2015); the 2015 population of Wake County is 1,024,198.

WHERE IS RALEIGH LOCATED?
Located centrally on the East Coast, Wake County is halfway between Florida and New York City. Raleigh lies in east-central N.C., where the hilly Piedmont region meets the flat coastal plain. With access from I-40 and four major U.S. highways as well as nearby I-85 and I-95 (connected to Raleigh via I-495), it’s an easy drive here; it’s also easy to reach both the N.C. mountains and beaches.

WHAT IS USUALLY THE TEMPERATURE?
Springs and summers range from the upper-60s to the upper-80s (degrees Fahrenheit); fall averages in the 70s; winters hit the high 20s to mid-50s. Mean annual rainfall (inches): 45.23.

Annual Average Temp. (°F) - 71 (high), 50 (low)

Annual Average Snowfall (inches) - 4.7

Average Relative Humidity (%) - 71.3

WHAT IS THE SALES TAX IN RALEIGH AND WAKE COUNTY?
A 4.75-percent state tax plus 2.5-percent county tax.

Visitation

WHERE IS THE OFFICIAL VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER?
The Raleigh, N.C., Visitor Information Center is conveniently located in downtown Raleigh between the Raleigh Marriott City Center and the Raleigh Convention Center. The site address is 500 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, N.C. (not a mailing address).

HOW MANY VISITORS DOES THE RALEIGH AREA WELCOME ANNUALLY?
In 2016, Raleigh/Wake County welcomed 15.6 million visitors.

Accommodations

WHAT IS THE OCCUPANCY TAX?
Wake County has a six-percent occupancy tax rate.

HOW MANY HOTEL ROOMS ARE IN GREATER RALEIGH/WAKE COUNTY?
Wake County has more than 15,500 total area hotel rooms.

HOW MANY HOTEL ROOMS ARE IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH?
More than 1,000 hotel rooms are within one mile of the Raleigh Convention Center (with more under development).

HOW MUCH MEETING SPACE IS THERE IN THE RALEIGH AREA?
There are at least 200 unique meeting sites and more than 90 hotels with meeting space.

HOW MANY MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS DID THE RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER HOST LAST YEAR?
More than 350 total events... including 50 conventions and tradeshows and 10 competitions. Those 60 events included contracted hotel room-nights for our area.